CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -
A Caroline Walter (Reilingen, Germany) long hit along the endline was tipped in by senior forward Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.) with 4:11 to play in a see-saw battle as the top-seeded Terrapin field hockey squad came back to beat Wake Forest, 3-2, to capture their fourth consecutive ACC Championship and fifth in the history of the program. The Terrapins trailed at halftime but displayed tremendous resilience in bouncing back to down the Deacons. Honda award hopeful Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.) registered an assist and led the Terp defensive effort to capture her second-straight ACC Tournament MVP award. Freshman Colleen Barbieri (Centereach, N.Y.) was announced the conference Rookie of the Year after the match as well.

"I just give our team so much credit. We didn't have our "A" game today, and you don't always have your "A" game. But we had our "A" hearts," said ACC Coach of the Year Missy Meharg of the Terrapin effort.

Maryland cracked the scoreboard first, finding the back of the net on their first shot of the game. Taking advantage of their first corner opportunity at 24:48, redshirt freshman Sara Silvetti (Wapwallopen, Pa.) fired a pass down the left side of the cage, where it was tipped up and over WFU keeper Katie Ridd by Silvetti's high school teammate, junior Carissa Messimer (Mountaintop, Pa.).

The Deacs tied the contest at 8:53 mark following a corner play. Maryland keeper Ashley Hohnstine (Oak Hill, Va.) made the initial stop on the direct hit and the following rebound, but the ball popped up where it was batted in by Jennie Shelton. Wake Forest took a 2-1 advantage on a similar play, when a rebounded save was punched into the cage by Heather Aughinbaugh.

But the Terrapins' persistence had no end, as they reeled off two goals in the second half. Messimer's second goal of the game came at 26:44 in the second half to knot the score at 2-2. ACC Co-Player of the Year Welsh received the ball after a broken penalty corner and rifled it at the goal, where Messimer was waiting to tip it in.

Maryland took the lead for good when Walter's long hit along the endline was knocked in by Rizzo.

The Terrapins now await their seed and site for the NCAA Championships. The NCAA selection show will be cybercast on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Check www.umterps.com for more details.